new PTT button seems not to work with Omni-Rig

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yo3ipr
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new PTT button seems not to work with Omni-Rig

Post by yo3ipr »

Hello

The new PTT button introduced in LOG4OM 1.18 / 1.18.1 does not seem to work with Omni-Rig. I am using Omni-Rig with my ICOM IC-738 and SUCCI-T (LZ5VK) interface. If I press the PTT button in LOG4OM nothing happens at the interface. This seems to be a communication problem between LOG4OM and Omni-Rig since if I set Omni-Rig with RTS "high" it activates the PTT on my interface so the issue is not between Omni-Rig and the interface. (my interface uses the standard RTS for PTT and DTR for CW Keying and both work correctly with Omn-Rig).

I don't need this functionality right now (I only use my interface for band / mode exchange) but wanted to bring the problem to your attention. I do not use any digi-modes so I can't test those.

73 Tony YO3IPR / G4IPR
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Re: new PTT button seems not to work with Omni-Rig

Post by DF5WW »

Think we have to old Rigs and/or wrong interfaces. Have had the problem that PTT over CAT is not working with my IC-735/Omnirig/SB-1000 Interface. That´s why i´ve used the "old way" when testing digitals (not active digital mode user since more than 1 year). That´s not a L4O problem, it´s a problem of Omnirig or the used Interface. Lot of guys have modern Transceivers and the PTT Button in L4O is working ...

I also don´t need functionality of this button i´m back on CW :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
73´s .. Juergen ... ALT-512 SDR (10W) , 50 m random wire at SG-211 autotuner, 2 x Xiegu G90 (20W HF TRX) one as portable Radio. Also TS-790E (40 W) for VHF/UHF with X-50 vertical and Duoband 4-Element LPDA.
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Re: new PTT button seems not to work with Omni-Rig

Post by G4POP »

DF5WW wrote:Think we have to old Rigs and/or wrong interfaces. Have had the problem that PTT over CAT is not working with my IC-735/Omnirig/SB-1000 Interface. That´s why i´ve used the "old way" when testing digitals (not active digital mode user since more than 1 year). That´s not a L4O problem, it´s a problem of Omnirig or the used Interface. Lot of guys have modern Transceivers and the PTT Button in L4O is working ...

I also don´t need functionality of this button i´m back on CW :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
You are correct sometimes the rig ini does not support CAT PTT on older rigs and also there was a problem with the SB1000 in this respect.
73 Terry G4POP
yo3ipr
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Re: new PTT button seems not to work with Omni-Rig

Post by yo3ipr »

Hi Terry / Juergen

As I mentioned, the method Omni-Rig uses for radio's with CI-V interface (and others?) is to use the RTS line for PTT and DTR for CW keying. This is working correctly between Omni-Rig and my interface (and radio). As far as I know this is a standard way of doing things for "most" radios. Do newer radios receive the PTT information as a command in data?

Here is the page for the interface I use: http://www.kotarov.com/projects/succi It is modern design using an FTDI USB - RS232 chip and works exactly as designed. The interface has 3 outputs: CAT (CI-V (TTL) or RS232 depending on model), PTT & CW, plus 1 input for a footswitch which activates DSR (which in turn activates RTS). Here is the information from the user guide:

1. Brief description
This interface converts from USB the following computer-generated signals, used by most of the logger programs out there:
- Radio control over serial port (a.k.a. САТ – Computer Aided Transceiver) for all transceivers that utilize interfaces with TTL voltage levels (0V and +5V), i.e. Yaesu FT-817/857/897, FT-100, FT-840, FT-890, FT-900, FT-990, FT-1000(D) and all Icom radios with CI-V interface or Kenwood TS-50, TS-450, TS-690, TS-850, TS-950.
- CW signal generated on the DTR line of the serial port – standard for all logger programs.
- РТТ signal generated on the RTS line of the serial port – standard for all logger programs.
- FootSwitch (FS) input on DSR serial line (pin 6) – standard for all logger programs.

Hope that helps.

73 Tony YO3IPR / G4IPR
yo3ipr
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Re: new PTT button seems not to work with Omni-Rig

Post by yo3ipr »

P.S
To clarify how I tested the Omni-Rig interface function: if I set RTS normally high in the setting screen it activates the PTT line. Similarly on the DTR (CW) line so clearly Omni-Rig is controlling the interface correctly.
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Re: new PTT button seems not to work with Omni-Rig

Post by IW3HMH »

Please enable debug mode from settings (there is a flag with DEBUG MODE) and try triggering the rig.
Everything should be logged, errors included if any.

DEBUG MODE will be reset on next restart.
Daniele Pistollato - IW3HMH
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Re: new PTT button seems not to work with Omni-Rig

Post by yo3ipr »

Hi Danielle

I set debug on as you suggested. I have attached today's full log file (zipped), but the lines you are looking for are these:

2014-08-25 21:41:50.4003 ERROR: *** OmniRigManagement: Error in SetPTT ******* [Function: SetPTT] System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at LogOM.BL.OmniRigManagement.SetPTT(Boolean on)

Please also find my Omni-rig.ini and the Omni-rig IC738.ini config file attached.

There is no "SetPTT" command in the IC738.ini file, I am not sure that the radio or the CI-V standard supports it. My interface uses the RTS line as the PTT control, which is supposed to be the standard method used by most log programs (RTS for PTT and DTR for CW keying) according to the manufacturer. See my earlier notes here.

Thanks & 73
Tony YO3IPR
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Re: new PTT button seems not to work with Omni-Rig

Post by G4POP »

There is no "SetPTT" command in the IC738.ini file
This is what I said before!

I am not sure that the radio or the CI-V standard supports it. My interface uses the RTS line as the PTT control, which is supposed to be the standard method used by most log programs (RTS for PTT and DTR for CW keying) according to the manufacturer. See my earlier notes here.
If the radio CI-V and Omnirig do not support PTT it does not matter what your interface can do.

Mosts older radio only provided PTT via hard switching, Mic PTT switch, a button on the rig and if you were lucky a PTT socket on the back of the rig.

Perhaps you could check the computer commands listed in your rigs user guide or join the Yahoo group to find out what your rig can and cannot do?

The Log4om PTT works fine with the following rigs at my home QTH and on Win XP, win7 32 and 64 bits

Ic756 ProIII
IC 7000
TS480
FT817ND

I also have friends that regularly use it on an IC7600, IC7700, IC7800, TS590, TS570 and TeTec Orion so I have to surmise that Log4om/Omnirig generally works OK with regard to the PTT
73 Terry G4POP
yo3ipr
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Re: new PTT button seems not to work with Omni-Rig

Post by yo3ipr »

Hi Terry

I mentioned in my first post that my interface uses a hardware PTT interface and I later asked if the LOG4OM PTT was being done solely though a data command.

The simple solution is to make the LOG4OM PTT button also raise the RTS line on the serial port (via Omni-Rig) as well as sending the data command. This seems to be the way that most log programs do it (as the manufacturer of my interface says) and this would allow for compatibility with both older rigs with a hard-wired PTT interface as well as those that use a software command for PTT. If this would cause issues for some of the newer radios then why not have a switch in the settings to choose between hardware or software PTT?

We do need to support the many older rigs that are out there, not only the newer ones.

Thanks
Tony YO3IPR / G4IPR
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Re: new PTT button seems not to work with Omni-Rig

Post by G4POP »

I have just downloaded the user guide for your radio

How does your interface connect to the rig

1. via the remote jack only
2. via the remote jack plus either the ACC1 or ACC2 socket
3. what interface do you have?
73 Terry G4POP
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